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How the SNS Works: A Foreign Resident's Complete Guide to Public Healthcare in Portugal

How the SNS Works: A Foreign Resident's Complete Guide to Public Healthcare in Portugal

How does Portugal's National Health Service work? Who can access it? What does it cost? This guide covers registration, family doctors, emergency rooms, prescriptions, private insurance, and the system's current challenges — everything a foreign resident needs to know in 2026.

Portugal's Hospitals Told Not to Increase Surgeries or Consultations in 2026 — Waiting Lists Already Topping 1.3 Million

Portugal's Hospitals Told Not to Increase Surgeries or Consultations in 2026 — Waiting Lists Already Topping 1.3 Million

The SNS Executive Directorate has instructed public hospitals not to expand surgical or consultation activity in 2026, even as waiting lists hit record levels. Hospital managers and the Ordem dos Médicos warn the decision will cause real harm to patients.